'Family Matters' takes us to Bombay in the mid-1990's. Nariman Vakeel is a 79-year-Parsi old widower and the patriarch of a small discordant family. Beset by Parkinson's disease and haunted by memories of the past, he lives in a once-elegant apartment with his two middle-aged stepchildren - Coomy, bitter and domineering and her brother Jal, mild-mannered and acquiescent.

When Nariman's illness is compounded by a broken ankle, Commy plots to turn his round-the-clock care over to Roxana, her sweet tempered sister. She succeeds, but not without cost, and eventually Nariman takes up residence with Roxana, her husband, Yezad and their two young sons. The effect of the new responsibility on Yezad, who is already besieged by financial worries, pushes him into a scheme of deception involving Vikram Kapur, his eccentric often exasperating employers at the Bombay Sporting Goods Emporium. This sets in motion a series of events - a great unravelling and a revelation of the family love-torn past - that leads to the narrative's final outcome.

In this wise and compassionate novel, Mistry has once again created a beautifully realised world. As his unforgettable characters confront situations over which they have no control, their tragedies and their triumphs ultimately become our own.

ABOUT ROHINTON MISTRY

Rohinton Mistry's most recent world of fiction was 'A Fine Balance' (1995). It won many prestigious awards, including the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for fiction the Giller Prize, as well as being shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the international IMPAC Dublin literary award and the Irish Times International fiction prize. His previous novel 'Such a Long Journey' (1991) won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book and the Governor General's Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It was made into an acclaimed feature film in 1998. Mistry's first work of fiction, a collection of short stories 'Tales from Firozsha Baag' was published in 1987.

Born in Bombay, Rohinton Mistry has lived in Canada since 1975.

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